Cleaning House In 2016!

I could make this all about house-cleaning given the title. Gotcha!

The last thing anyone wants to hear about is cleaning a house!

HOWEVER....I have stumbled, perhaps a little late in the game, upon the concept of Minimalism.

That word has scared me for years. It conjured up the old childhood feelings of Mom throwing things away that I wanted while housecleaning, of the 1970's white rooms with a chair and a table and no stuff, and of a bare and soul-less existence. I have to get rid of all of my BOOKS? My mementos? My works of art? All of my clothes that are out of style or don't fit well? All the papers and notes to myself? Every gift anyone has given me, EVER????

Calm down, Honey. Bring it down.

The idea is not to get 'rid' of things but to keep the things you treasure the most. If you think of it in that way, it's not as traumatic. If you are a hoarder, of course, everything is a treasure and everything stays. In that case, you get professional help. I'm not joking.

I've decided to tackle my closet, first. There is NO way, my daughter is going to use my wedding dress. It goes. I have bridesmaids dresses I've worn that are going, also.

They say you only wear about 20% of what is in your wardrobe. That would be a smaller number for me, personally. I'm actually excited about ridding myself of anything there that does not give me a pleasurable feeling. I know there are tons of things there like that. That is the reason I can stand there looking at it all saying, "I don't have anything to wear!".

It's clothes. They aren't human beings. They aren't children. They are replaceable. Things don't matter. People do.

Once that connection to them is broken, as is that addiction to shopping for more  items is broken, it makes for a happier existence. The shopping part has never and will never be a problem for me as I've stated before, I lack that shopping gene. Dressing daily will be a breeze as you will have only what you love and looks good on you to wear. You can practically reach in with your eyes shut and find exactly what you need! Well. That's what the idea is. Then, if you buy something new, it should be to replace something no longer wearable (worn out, ripped, unrepairable) or a piece that will fit in with what you have in your wardrobe. The best of it, to me, is that everything you have is functional, wearable, fits, and you love it!

It's suggested that you go through your laundry bin or basket and start there. The items there are the ones you wear, obviously, or they wouldn't be there.  Le duh!

So, that's where I'm starting. Not today. I've already done my laundry for the week.

Therein lies the rub. I'm a procrastinator. I put off today what I can do tomorrow, or the next day, or next week. I'm only partially kidding.

I realize what will happen when I start. Life happens.

I want to start and I want to finish. I'm the type of person that if I begin any project, i.e. a portrait, painting, sewing, and writing, I will stay awake and finish it, however long it takes. I was that kind of a worker, once. If it came across my desk, I wanted to handle it once, be done with it, and never see it again. I would tell co-workers, "Here ya go. Don't ask any questions about it."

I have a head-start because of that attitude. That's what is recommended. Take EVERYTHING out and deal with it and be done with it. That's my philosophy so we are of the same mindset, at least. Therefore, when life gives me a day to deal with the closet and drawers throughout the house, meaning ALL of my clothing, I will.

The books will be last. I'll keep you up-to-date.

Reboot Challenge? Join me in cleaning out 2016 of the things we don't absolutely treasure or need in our lives!